Terracing machine



1950 J. E. HANCOCK TERRACING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1947 Inventor James E. Hancock Atlorneys Oct. 24, 1950 J. E. HANCOCK TERRACING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1947 In uentor James E. Hancock mm B 6 m I Get. 24, 1950 J. E. HANCOCK TERRACING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 24, 1947 I )1 verztor James E. Hancock Oct. 24, 1950 J. E. HANCOCK 2,537,415

TERRACING MACHINE Filed March 24, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 In uentor James E. Hancock Patented Oct 24, 1950 UNITED, STATES PATENT orrics TERRACING MACHINE James E. Hancock, Lubbock, Tex. Application March 24, 1947,, Serial Nc.736,847

2 Claims. (o 37-110) This invention relates to improvement in terracing machines.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved tractor-drawn and operated terracing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tractor-drawn and operated terracing machine which is provided with an angularly and vertically adjustable disk plow and a laterally extending adjustable endless conveyor operated by said tractor power takeoff for discharging earth shovelled thereon bysaid disk plow as said tractor pulls the terracing machine along a line parallel with the terrace, being formed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved tractor-drawn and operated terracing machine including a vertically adjustable disk plow supporting beam having a hydraulic ram operated lift beam connected therewith for selectivel varying the depth of cut to be made by said disk plow, and an. adjustable, laterally extendin conveyor belt for carrying the earth scooped upon its lower end by said disk plow for dischargin the same to the side of the terracing machine, said beltbeing positively driven by suitable shafting and gearing connected with the power takeoff from said tractor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved Wheel-supported tractordrawn terracing machine including a hydraulic ram operated lifting beam and a disk plow supporting frame adjustably supported thereby, together with an adjustable endless belt conveyor operated from the power takeoff connection of said tractor, and an adjustable rubber-tired gauge wheel whereby said terracing machine, when drawn along by a tractor, will efficiently move earth from one place to discharge it laterally of the machine for building a terrace.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tractor-drawn terracing machine which will be highly efficient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanyin drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure l is a plan view of the improved terracing machine;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the improved terracing machine, showing the same attached to a tractor;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of. the improved terracing machine;

' terracing machine;

2 Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the improved Figure 5 is a partial sectional View takenon the line 55 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on the lin 6-6 of Figure 4.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an improved form of earth terracing machine which includes a' Wheeled main frame generally designated by the reference numeral I having a pair of parallel, longitudinally extending horizontal metal main frame beams 2 and 3 which are connected together at their forward ends by the cross beam 4. The extreme forward ends of the beams 2 and 3 are angled downwardly and inwardly, as at 5 and 6, and have their forward ends connected to ether by meansof the short transversely extending I- beam 1.

A tongue 8 is pivoted at its inner end as at 9, to the cross brace member It] connected between the adjacent ends of the beams 5 and 6, and is provided with the eye I I at its forward extremity. An intermediate opening (not shown) is formed through the tongue 8, and cooperates with the series of spaced openings l2 formed through the lower rail of the I-beamv'l, being adjustably or angularly connected therewith by means of the pin 53, whereby the terracing machine maybe pulled at various lateral angles with respect to the tractor. The eye of the tongue 8 is adapted to be secured in the clevis l4 attached to the tractor !5, by means of the pin [6 extending through said parts.

A pair of downwardly and outwardly slanting beams I1 and it are secured at their upper ends to the rear ends of the main frame beams 2 and'3. Attaching to the lower ends of the beams ii and i8 are the plates I9 and 29, to which the transversely extending rear axle 2! is secured byrneans of the' U-bolts 22 and 23.

A centrally disposed, depending angle iron beam 24 is secured to the cross beam 25 connected between the rear ends of the main frame beams 2 and 3, and supports the plate 26 to which the rear axle 2! is secured by means of the I-bolts 21.

Suitable rubber-tired rear wheels 28 and 29 are positioned upon the outer ends of the rear axle 2| for supporting the terracing machine for movement over the ground when attached to a tractor l5 and hauled thereby.

It will therefore be seen that a substantially rectangular body frame is formed by the opposite side members 2 and 3, and by the front cross member 4 and rear cross member 25.

An endless earth conveyor, generally designated by the reference numeral 29, includes the parallel extending side frame members 30 and 3i, and a series of spaced belt-supporting rollers 32 supported therebetween. An idler roller 33 is supported below the endless conveyor 25 approximately midway of its length and supports the lower reach of the endless rubber conveyor belt 34 which is disposed about the belt-supporting rollers 32.

An arcuate metal guard plate 35 is secured to the forward edge of the conveyor 29' at its lower or inner end, and serves to prevent'earth from entering into the space between the reaches of the conveyor belt 34.

A pair of guard plates or boards 36 and 31 are secured by means of the bracketsBS to the opposite side frame members 30 and 3! at the lower and inner end of the conveyor for preventing the earth, when scooped onto the conveyor, from being thrown off the opposite edges thereof.

A gear box 39 is disposed at the outer end of the conveyor 29', being connected with the outermost roller 32 for driving the same, and is connected through the universal joint connection 49 with the slip joint shaft 4| and the inner uni- I versal joint connection 42, and thence to the shaft 43 which enters the gear box 44 supported upon the front frame member :3.

A forwardly extending stub shaft 45 projects from the gear box 44 to a universal joint connection 46, which in turn is connected by means of the slip shaft 41 with the power takeoff connection (not shown) On the tractor l5for positively driving the endless conveyor 29'.

Chains 48 are attached to the side frame member 3, and extend downwardly to the oppositely extending pivot studs 49 and 50 supported by the conveyor side frame members 30 and 3 I. Adjustable brace arms 5! and 52 are connected at one end to said pivot studs 49 and 53, and at their opposite ends to depending arms 52a of cross frame members 4 and 521), respectively.

Opposite, upwardly extending pairs of supporting arms 53 and 54 support the longitudinally extending, rotary reel rods 55 and 55, respectively, to the forward ends of which the hand operating cranks 51 and 58 are attached.

Chains 59 and 6B, and BI and 62 will be connected between the reel rods 55 and 56 and the brackets 63 and 54 upon the outer and inner ends of said endless belt conveyor 29, whereby the same may be adjusted to extend at various angular inclinations, best suited for the work being currently performed. Suitable locking pawls (not shown) are arranged to hold the reel rods 55 and 56 in their selected adjustment.

A standard 65 is mounted vertically upon the top of the side frame member 3, and is provided with a pivot connection 66 which is connected with the inner end of the disk plow lifting beam extending side arm beams 12 and 13, which in turn are connected by means of the ball and socket joints l4 and 15 to the frame member 5 and to the angle iron beam 24, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The disk plow 16 is angularly supported upon the lower end of the vertical supporting beam 11, whose upper end will be secured to the central beam H by means of the clamp bars 18 and bolts 19. Rearwardly and upwardly extending braces are secured between the lower ends of the beam 11 and the rear beam 13 for firmly supporting the disk plow 16 in fixed position.

The lifting beam 61 and the attached hydraulic ram 68 are used as a power lift for taking the disk plow 16 out of the ground for turning, etc. The lateral adjustment or cutting action of the disk plow 16 is controlled by the angular variation in adjustment between the tongue 1 and the clevis M on the tractor I5. I

A rubber-tired gauge wheel 8| is supported by the bracket members 82, 83 and 84, and the beam H is provided with an adjusting pin 85 which cooperates with a series of adjusting openings 86 in the bracket member 82, whereby the vertical adjustment of the gauge wheel 8| may be changed at the will of the operator.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the tractor 15 will draw the terracing machine I along the terrace being formed in a line parallel therewith, and the power takeoff (not shown) from the tractor may be utilized through the medium of the inner connected shafting and gearing hereinbefore described in detail'to operate the endless conveyor for conveying the earth scraped up by the disk plow 16 laterally of the terracing machine for depositing the same to the side thereof for forming the terrace.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention there to except as within the limit of the following claims, as many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a terracing machine, a wheeled frame, an inclined endless conveyor mounted on and disposed transversely of and extending beyond one side of said frame, a plow mounted at the other side of said wheeled frame and arranged to excavate earth and discharge it laterally onto the adjacent lower end of the conveyor, said plow including a substantially U-shaped supporting frame pivotally mounted at said other side of the wheeled frame for vertically swinging adjustment, a transverse vertically swingable lifting beam pivotally mounted at one end upon one side of the wheeled frame and extending beyond the other side of the latter, a ram mounted on said other side of the wheeled frame and connected to the intermediate portion of said lifting beam for raising the latter, and a connection between the other end of said lifting beam and the supporting frame of the plow.

2. In a tractor drawn and driven terracing machine, a horizontal rectangular frame composed of longitudinal beams connected at their ends by cross beams, a transverse axle having supporting wheels journ-aled on the ends thereof, substantially upright beams supporting the rear end of the frame upon and above the axle, forwardly inclined and converging beams extending forwardly from the front ends of the longitudinal beams and connected at their adjacent forward ends, a laterally adjustable pivoted draft tongue carried by the forward ends of said converging beams and adapted to be connected to and supported by a tractor, an inclined endless conveyor disposed transversely of and having an end portion extending laterally beyond one side of the frame, means for operatively connecting the endless conveyor to the power take-off of a tractor, means pivotally suspending the conveyor from the frame for vertical swinging adjustment about an axis located between the ends of the conveyor and beneath and at said side of the frame, the other end portion of the conveyor extending beneath and to the other side of the frame, supporting arms projecting upwardly and laterally outward from said longitudinal beams, rotary reel shafts supported by said arms above and parallel with said longitudinal beams, flexible connections between said reel shafts and the ends of the conveyor for adjusting the inclination of the latter, a plow including a plow disk mounted at-said other side of the frame and arranged to excavate earth and discharge it laterally onto said other end of the conveyor, said plow having a substantially U-shaped supporting frame pivotally mounted at said other side of the first named frame for vertical swinging adjustment, a vertically swingable lifting beam pivotally mounted at one end upon the longitudinal beam at said one side of the first named frame and extending transversely of the first named frame beyond said other side of the latter, a ram mounted on the longitudinal beam at said other side of the first named frame and connected to the intermediate portion of said lifting beam for raising the latter, and a connection between the other end of said lifting beam and the plow frame.

JAMES E. HANCOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 806,431 Russell Dec. 5, 1905 834,455 Clapp Oct. 30, 1906 1,837,753 Berry Dec. 22, 1931 1,912,583 Kugler June 6, 1933 2,089,319 Wooley et a1 Aug. 10, 1937 2,103,775 Frink Dec. 28, 1937 

